BREAKING: Power outage hits Dubois and surrounding area this evening; Storm heading to Lander/Hudson area

Significant lightning also associated with this thunderstorm

(Dubois, Wyo.) – Electric power went out in the Dubois and surrounding area this evening around 6:30 p.m. An automated recording at High Plains Power in Riverton indicated a widespread outage had occurred in the Upper Country and a repair crew had been mobilized, but that no estimate is available when power will be restored. Eyewittness accounts said a severe thunderstorm passed through the Crowheart area at about that time. A spokesperson at the High Plains call center said the trouble was identified as an “open breaker” at one of its substations.

In a possible related development…

A thunderstorm that roared through Crowheart earlier this evening “most likely produced pea sized hail according to radar images,” and the heart of the storm is headed to the Lander and Hudson area between 7:45 and 8:10 p.m. tonight, said NWS Riverton forecaster Katie Branham. Wind gusts between 30-45 MPH can be expected along with rain and the potential for small hail. Significant lighting has also been observed on this, the last day of Lightning Awareness Week. If you observe severe weather, please call the NWS in Riverton at 1-800-211-1448.